1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an image forming apparatus, for example, a copying machine, a printer, a facsimile machine or the like.
2. Description of Related Art
Image forming apparatuses typically include a hollow cylindrical rotatable photosensitive drum on which an electrostatic latent image is formed according to a light distribution, an electric discharger which electrically charges the photosensitive drum by applying a high voltage, a developing device which develops the electrostatic latent image formed on the photosensitive drum with toner supplied by a developer roller, and the like. The photosensitive drum and the developer roller are driven by a driving unit including an electric motor. Further, a high voltage circuit board is provided for applying the high voltage to the electric discharger (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-347723 and Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2003-195697).
In such an image forming apparatus, the high voltage circuit board is typically fixed to a planar frame via a columnar fixing member. The high voltage circuit board may be juxtaposed with the driving unit on a common side face of the frame (see, for example, Japanese Unexamined Patent Publication No. 2001-347723), or disposed in a front portion or an upper portion of the image forming apparatus apart from the driving unit disposed in a rear portion of the image forming apparatus.
Since the fixing member for the high voltage circuit board is provided separately from the frame, a greater number of components and higher production costs are required.
Where the high voltage circuit board is disposed apart from the driving unit, a housing space for the driving unit and a housing space for the high voltage circuit board should be separately provided. As a result, the size of the entire apparatus is increased. Where the high voltage circuit board and the driving unit are disposed in juxtaposition on the common side face of the frame, the problem associated with the housing spaces is encountered as in the aforesaid case, resulting in increase in the size of the entire apparatus.